Improvement in water-wheels



JEYEM. HOYO-LITHOGRAPHEH. WASHINGTON. D. C.

["dniirh y @that @ffii-? encuen w. WERNTZ, or AUBURN INDIANA', AssieNon 'ro HIMsELr AND- HENRY A. sHULL, or sans' PLACE.

LettersJPatent'No. 109,784, dated November 29, 1870,'

IMPRovEMEN-r IN WATER-WHEELS.

f Figure 1 is an elevation ot'myimproved wheel, showing the bridge-tree upon which it rests; the ring which surrounds it; the gates around its outer surface, to-

gether with the means of operating them; thecap or cover of the wheel; the'induction-aperturesthrough such cap, and the gates which control such apertures.

Figure 2 -is a plan view, showing the capor cover; the partially-rotating ring, with its angulark slots for opening the side gates; the mechanism for moving the same;`the raised projections upon the cap, through which water passes to interior buckets of the wheel, and the gates for. regulating the flow. of such water.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the wheel, the ring which surrounds it, and the gates which control the ow of water to the outer set of buckets. 'Q v. "Figure 4 is a plan view of the wheel, showing the arrangement of the two sets of buckets and the rim which divides them. p

Figure 5 is an elevation of the wheel or portion of its outside rim, broken away to show thc construction ofthe. outer set of buckets.

Figure is an elevation of one of the projections formed Aupon the cap of the wheel, showing the pass age for thewater to the interior buckets. l,

Corresponding let-ters refer to corresponding parts in the several figures. Y

This invention relates to water-wheels; jand It consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of some of its parts, as will be more fully explained hereinafter.

A in the drawing refers to a bridge-.tree or to the foundation upon which the wheel rests, it being provided with a suitable stop or bearing for 'the support ofthe lower end of the shaft ofthe wheel.

1 3 refers to a ring which is to rest upon the bottom of the flume in which the wheel is placed. rlhe interior' diameter of this ring is to be such that the wheel will revolve freely within it, while its width is to be sutlicient to leave a surface sniicieutiy broad to permit the -gates which control the flow of water to the outer set of buckets to move upon it.

C refers to a plate, which I prefer to make of metal, but which may be iuadeof wood. 1t is to be of sutiicient thickness tosustain the pressure of water which rests upon its upper surface, and of a diameter equal, or about equal, to the outer diameter of the ring B.

' Upon the under surface of this plate Athere, is a series ,of projections formed, the depth of which is' equal tothe desired space to be left between the plate y and the ring, which space will depend upon the depth of the wheel, or, in other words, upon the length of the buckets of the wheel.

The lower surface of these projections rests upon the upper surface of the ring B, and bolts pass down through both' for the purpose of securing them in their positions.

This plate covers the entire upper surface of the wheel, except that there is au aperture rthrough it, at itsceuter, just large enough to permit the shaft D3 of the wheel to pass up through.

D refers to the wheel which has two sets of buckets, the interior ones, D1, of which are formed upon the outer surface of the hub of the wheel, it being 'made large for that purpose, while'ijetween them and the outer set, D2, there is a rim of metal, which is as wide as the buckets are long. This rim is curved inward at its lower edge, so as to give a greater width to the buckets at their lower ends than they have at their upper ones; and in order that the inner buckets may 'possess the same advantage, the outer surface of the hub of the wheel is curved or rounded upon its lower side, so as to provide for the increased width of such buckets at their lowerends. This feature ofthe construction of the wheel is shown at ig. 4, its object being to allow additional room at that point for the discharge of the water from the wheel after it has acted by impact upon such wheel, and thus, as quickly as possible, to relieve ,it from the weight of water which it would otherwise have to carry.

E E refer to a series of gates, which are pivoted vto the ring Bat their lower sides, their width being such as to cause them to move water-tight between said ring and the cap or cover O,to which their uppersides are pivoted. The pivoted points of these buckets are at their inner end, and there rise from their upper surfaces, at their opposite' ends, studs orl pins, which pass up through tangential slots formed in the cap C, as shown in tig. 2, and engage or pass into slots formed in a partially-rotating ring,l soon to be described.

F F refer to a series of projections which is formed upon the upper surface of the cap or cover O, as shown in fig. 2. There are passages through these projections, as shown at tig. 6, for the purpose of allowing water vto pass to the inner set of buckets at any time when it is desirable to give 'an additional amount of power to the wheel, or, in other words, when the water acting upon the outer series fails to give the required amount of power.

F F' refer -to gates which control the amountof water which is allowed t0 flowthrough the apertures above alluded to, they being hinged to the upper surfaces of the projections F F, and provided with a rope or chain` for opening them, which may be passed over a pull y or screw placed in any convenient position,

and fiom thence to a windlass, which will ati'ord the means for readily operating the gates.

G refers to a ring of metal, which is placed upon the upper surface ofthe plate G and held in position by siutable brackets attached to said plate, the outer ends of said buckets being;r provided with frictionroller; which bear upon' thefiuterior surface of said ring,` uid thus relieve it of much ofthe friction which wouh. otherwise he thrown upon itwhen the gates are being opened or closed. The construction of this ring is clearly shown at fig. 2, where it will he seen that ipon its outer surface there is aser-ies of projectit ns equal iii-number to the number of gatcsto be actedl upon, and that those projections are provided with slots which are tangential to the circumference of-the ring, the object of which is that they shall open and close the outer gates -as the ring `is partially rota-ted, a portion Aof the interior surface thereof being 4provided with cogs which mesh into a pinion, H, placed loojsi when so arranged with reference to each other that either set maybe used separately, or that they may be used in conjunction, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

1n testimony whereof, I have signed my naine' to this specication in the `presence of two subscribing witnesses.

.GEORGE XV. TERNTZ.

fitnessesz HENRY A. SHULL, DAWD KRIDER. 

